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Barnyard Buddies:  Goat milking question(s)  |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 5:05:58 PM
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I have a request for any goat-keeping farmgirls on the forum. I'm presently writing a novel for National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org), and one of my characters is about to show another character how to milk a goat - the problem being that I have never milked a goat in my life. Would anyone be willing to give a description of the goat-milking process from beginning to end, just so my character doesn't miss anything? 
Thank you!
- Elizabeth Ann (who does want to get her own goats someday)
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com
http://myspace.com/elizabethannbarlow |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 6:36:03 PM
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When I milk goats this is the routine I follow:
I get out three stainless steel buckets, one is filled with a warm water and a squirt of Iodine. I put in 2 paper towels per goat and take them to the goat milking barn. I put about 2lbs of goat feed (grain) into the feeding trough of the milking stand.
I then go get the first goat who is always waiting at the gate. I take her to the stand and she already knows to jump up and stick her head through the stanchion. I then take one of the paper towels and wipe the udder down with the warm water going from top to bottom. I throw that paper towel away and get the second. I wipe the udder down again to make sure it is clean.
I "waste" the first few draws on the udder since this helps clear any dirt that might have been lodged in the milk ducts.
To milk you encircle the top of the teat with your forfinger and thumb and tighten then you create a fist one finger at a time which forces the milk out in a stream. The trick is to not loosen your grip of your forefinger and thumb until your last finger is tightened down. If you losen your thumb and forefinger, the milk will mostly just gush back up into the bag of the udder instead of squirting into the waiting bucket.
After the first goat is done being milked, I dump the milk from the milking bucket into the third bucket (that way if a goat kicks, you don't lose all your milk)
Before you let the goat go, spray something called "Bac-Stop" or wipe again with the iodine solution to help prevent mastitis.
Then I repeat for as many goats as are lactating.
After I am done milking I take it up to the house and run it through a paper filter (kind of like a really big coffee filter), and then we pour it into glass milk bottles, cool it down below 40 degrees as fast as possible by putting the glass bottles into a sink of cold water with ice.
If your goat has long hair you should shave the belly and udders ever couple of weeks or at least clip the area. This helps keep minute particles of debris from contaminating the milk as well as preventing that "goaty" taste.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 6:59:12 PM
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WOW! Alee, you beat me too it. I end up doing a lot of milking. My landlady has anywhere from 25 to 70 lactating goats in kidding season...some years all I do is milk, midwife and muck :P (Though most goats are pretty good at doing their own baby droppin')
Wishing you joy in small things and peace in your heart
Annika
http://panzymoon.wordpress.com/ |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 9:02:11 PM
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The only things I would add is that I always brush or curry my dairy animals before washing the udder...just to loosen any hair or dirt or hay or whatever that is going to fall in the milk. The belly area and all over. They like it too, and it becomes part of the routine. For my cow I use a rubber curry comb, but for my goats I always used a big soft brush. It really helps keep crud out of the milk.
I always add a little calf manna to the grain (rolled corn and barley) and if my hay isn't great I add some alfalfa pellets too.
I use old white washcloths to wash udders. They don't get used for anything else and get washed in hot water and regular laundry soap and hung in the sun to dry..I have lots. I always dry off the udder after washing and squirt those first few squirts over either a paper towel or a strip cup strainer thing to make sure there are no lumps or anything.
When I am done I make sure to strip out the very last of the milk by hand..real important..and I use a teat dip.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2007 : 2:37:58 PM
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Let us know how it turns out! :D
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
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Barnyard Buddies: Goat milking question(s) |
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Goat milking question(s)
